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Child Protection Enquiry
Medical Assessment
Medical examination
It is often necessary for your child to be seen by
a doctor, this will be:
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to help find out what has happened
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because there may be injuries that need treatment
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to consider again the explanation for the injuries or concerns.
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The social worker, police officer or your family doctor
will probably refer your child to a Paediatrician. This is
a doctor who is specially trained to deal with children and
who has a lot of experience in judging how injuries could
have been caused.
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Younger children can only be examined with your permission,
unless they need emergency treatment. If you don’t agree,
Social Workers may apply to the Court for permission to have
your child medically examined. If this happens you may wish
to seek legal advice.
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Older children may agree to be examined themselves, if the
doctor feels they are old enough to make the decision on their
own. It will depend on how well the child understands as well
as on their age.
What does the examination involve?
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Whether the concern involves physical, sexual, emotional
harm or neglect it is likely that the doctor will conduct
a full examination of your child.
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This means the doctor will not just look at the part that
has been hurt. The child will be weighed and measured and
their ears, eyes and chest will be checked.
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The doctor may also want to check other parts of your child’s
body including their private parts. If your child has come
with a bump or a bruise eg, this may seem strange. However,
it is important that the doctor has a full understanding of
your child’s health and development.
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If any treatment is needed this will be given. In some situations
the doctor may want to collect samples or take photographs
because it will help in understanding the injuries. The doctor
will ask your permission for this.
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If you are unhappy about any part of the examination you
should discuss it with the doctor when he/she asks your permission
to carry this out.
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An examination can help to reassure both of you that the
child will recover.
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It is important to remember that this examination is only
one part of the overall enquiry. It may not answer all the
concerns especially if they happened some time ago or have
been going on for some time.
Can I be present when my child is examined?
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You will usually be invited to be present at the examination
and the social worker will accompany you. Older children may
prefer a man or woman doctor and where possible will be given
one. They may also say if they would rather not have you present
during the examination.
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